


Of Cloth and Satin

by Mosspool13



Series: Leokumi Week [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Drabble, M/M, Post-Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation, Pre-Relationship, Teasing, Yukatas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-09
Updated: 2016-05-09
Packaged: 2018-06-07 11:02:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6801064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mosspool13/pseuds/Mosspool13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“What is it called?” Leo asked Takumi while he fingered the delicate white lace. </p>
<p>“It’s a yukata.”</p>
<p>“It’s a lovely piece of clothing.” Leo said, turning around so he could get a good look at the back of the yukata.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Cloth and Satin

**Author's Note:**

> Day 2: Foreign/ Bliss

After the war, Leo didn’t really expect to have enjoyed Prince Takumi’s company so much to the point that they would want to continue correspondence through letters and frequent, or extended, stays in each others’ company. 

The first few letters exchanged between them were stilted and awkward, stiff in the words they expressed, as if they felt that the war had been the only thing that could keep their small, somewhat brittle, developing and newly discovered friendship steady. Without a face to put to the words, Leo found it hard to discern if Takumi’s _I wish I could show it to yous_ and _I require a rematch on our last game of chess, as I know you feel the same way about shogi_ were well-meaning and honest. It wasn’t that he believed Takumi to be lying to him, or that the other prince was merely keeping appearances after their shared cooperation of peace, but Leo couldn’t fault a heavy dose of caution. 

It was two months after the end of the war when Leo found the opportunity to meet with Prince Takumi once more. 

Xander was taking a convoy to Hoshido in order to discuss new trade relations with King Ryoma. Leo had offered to accompany him, alongside Xander’s usual retainers. Xander had raised an eyebrow at Leo’s explanation of wanting to assess whether the Hoshidan royal family were indeed going to fulfill their peace agreements. He didn’t doubt Xander’s political and strategical prowess, far from it, but it had only been two months since the end of the war and though they had fought side by side together, Leo was still wary of the Hoshidans now that the threat looming over them had past. 

“Are you certain that is the only reason you wish to accompany me, Leo?” Xander pressed, later, as they were heading across the border. Leo glanced at his elder brother out of the corner of his eye, fingers tightening around Brynhildr imperceptibly but he knew there was no reason to lie to him, not when Xander would see through it. Xander had always been able to see through many of Leo’s more persistent and more complicated facades. 

“I was forthcoming in that I do want to assess the Hoshidans on their peace agreements with us, however,” and here he had to clear his throat, “I had also hoped to catch Prince Takumi for a moment alone as well.” 

Xander nodded, a small smile of bemusement quirking his mouth and his eyes intense with a level of knowing that made Leo feel suddenly as if he were being scrutinized like prey. “I see,” was all he said before he returned his attention back to their travels and Leo was able to regain his slipping composure. 

Upon arrival in the Hoshidan capital, they are immediately greeted by the sight of Hoshido’s Prince Ryoma. Not yet _King_ , as the coronation ceremony is pegged for a special holiday a few weeks from this date. Takumi had explained the significance of the Hoshidan holiday in his letter to Leo, and Leo had been interested enough to seek out further intellectual sustenance in the castle’s library. Xander himself has yet to receive his own title, but that is more lack of good timing rather than the need to wait for a specified, traditional date. They will need to undergo the ritual and the coronation as soon as possible, however, if they wish to gain traction with the many Nohrian citizens that are still buzzling with unrest. It’s a constant niggling thought in the back of Leo, and Xander’s, heads. 

Prince Ryoma is flanked by his retainers, the familiar sight eases some of Leo’s tension. Leo glances sideways at his brother, knowing that whatever apprehension Xander feels will be buried deep beneath his royal duty and calm, serene personage. 

Xander and Prince Ryoma meet and greet one another, collapsing almost instantly into a camaraderie that had become commonplace during the war. Though Leo was perceptive enough to see the slight stiffness of Xander’s shoulders and the way Prince Ryoma’s retainers inched ever so slightly closer to their liege, Leo could see that the gentleness in Prince Ryoma’s eyes was genuine, or appeared as much, and Xander’s own want for peace and friendship between these people whom they had once fought side by side with shone in the softer tone of his voice. 

Even with his eyes on his brother and the soon-to-be king of Hoshido, Leo’s awareness of his surroundings kept him straight and wary. He did not know where Prince Ryoma’s other siblings were, perhaps still in the castle, and the swirl of disappointment, at not spying a familiar long-haired prince, collecting in his chest made him inwardly wince. 

They were escorted back to the capital. Leo had been here a few times during and directly after the war, and the capital had finally begun reconstruction after the events of the early war, on the day of the late Queen Mikoto’s death. The markets were still lively and reminded Leo of some of the few he’d attended in Nohr. Aside from the broken buildings and debris, most of the Hoshidans seemed to ignore the destruction, going about their days with a relative ease that Leo knew came from the certainty that there would no longer be any more fighting. 

“If you’d like to take a moment to look around, I have no objections.” Prince Ryoma’s low voice sounded behind Leo and Leo paused, surprised, but hid it well by pivoting his body and cocking his head ever so slightly. Xander stood beside the dark-haired Hoshidan royal, eyeing Leo with a mixture of amusement and interest. 

“I wouldn’t mind a little walk. How about you, Leo?” Xander said, with a raised eyebrow. 

“I know that Sakura and Takumi are helping out with the reconstruction today, perhaps we will come across them.” Prince Ryoma added, glancing at Xander once before his eyes returned to Leo. Leo felt a flush begin to rise in his cheeks. Had Xander hinted something to Prince Ryoma about Leo’s extra reason for tagging along? He nearly wanted to send his older brother a frantic, betrayed look but held firm. 

Instead, he merely nodded. “If it isn’t too much trouble.” 

As they walked, some of the Hoshidans sent the Nohrians visitors nervous, sometimes even suspicious, looks, but they quelled upon sight of their prince walking amongst them. Prince Ryoma’s presence seemed to calm them as he talked and soothed and inquired upon services and needs. Leo had always been impressed by Prince Ryoma’s ability to show compassion even though he was a pillar of strength for his kingdom. It was a foreign thought in Nohr. Strength was paramount to respect; kindness was unnecessary and most times even unacceptable. The people of Nohr responded well to acts of strength and power. It was not an ideal world, of course, if Leo’s father’s rule hadn’t already demonstrated, but it was the way things were done in Nohr. _Though perhaps with this alliance, things may change._ Leo wasn’t sure yet if he was pleased by this or not. 

It was as they were approaching a dilapidated building near a corner of the open market when Leo saw Takumi. His corn-straw hair was pulled back in its usual ponytail and he looked as familiar as he had during the war, arms crossed and lips pinched into a frown. He seemed to be speaking with an older woman with graying hair. 

As Leo approached, he could hear their conversation. “I can’t just move my wares somewhere else. This was my store, my home before everything fell apart. There is nowhere else to go.” 

Takumi’s voice was frustrated in his reply, “I’m not asking you to _leave_. I’m just asking you to move aside for a little while so we can clear up the debris and fix up your place. You _do_ want to live here again, right?”

“And what will my customers think when they can’t find me!?” The woman argued, looking beside herself with horror. “They might think I’ve left the capital!” 

Takumi’s jaw clenched. “They won’t. If anyone comes by we’ll tell them where you are. In fact, you can move your things closer to the fountain and gain even more customers since you’ll be in sight enough for them to see you there.” 

Leo chuckled to himself. Takumi’s words were dripping with his irritation, and his diplomatic tendencies were terrible, but Leo could see the earnestness in the way Takumi rested a hand on the woman’s shoulder and added, “It won’t be too long, I promise. We’ll come get you when everything is cleaned up.” 

The woman still looked indignant but finally gave up, turning to the side to what Leo assumed were her wares. It was mostly a number of cloth and jewelry. Lots of what looked like robes and silk. Leo was momentarily taken aback by the idea that Hoshidans might share similar cloth ware with Nohrians. 

“Leo?” Takumi’s voice brought his attention back to the other prince, who was staring at him with wide eyes and an open mouth. It made him look ridiculous, and Leo couldn’t help wanting to tease him. 

“You look like a fish with your mouth open like that.” 

Takumi’s mouth immediately snapped shut and his brow furrowed in annoyance but his eyes were shining in a way that made Leo feel warm. “I didn’t realize you would be accompanying your brother to negotiations. I’d have went to greet you if that were the case.” 

Leo waved his hand. “It’s fine. I know you are busy with reconstruction efforts.” He moved so he was standing close enough to Takumi that he had to look down to meet the other prince’s eyes. He nodded to the woman, who was still muttering and gathering up her articles of clothing and jewels, “I saw you having difficulties with convincing her to step aside.” 

Takumi’s face pinched. “Don’t start. I don’t want to hear you complaining about my rough way of speaking again.” 

Leo felt the laugh bubble up from his chest. It came up unforced and light and Leo remembered again how much he missed being in Takumi’s presence, instead of just reading and imagining the expressions Takumi would be making when he read the letters they exchanged. “I only complain because it’s true.”

Takumi shoved Leo’s shoulder but Leo was ready for it and braced himself against the push so that he didn’t need to readjust his footing. Takumi caught Leo’s sleeve, bringing Leo’s attention back to Takumi’s face. His brown eyes were bright and shining and Leo was taken aback by the sudden, inexplicable desire to close the distance between them. Startled by the thought, Leo took a step back, nearly bumping into the old woman’s hanger. 

“Ah, my apologies.” He whispered immediately, hiding his flushed face from Takumi. He could hear Takumi snickering from behind him. 

The old woman didn’t look upset, merely curious as she looked Leo up and down. “What sort of dress is that, boy?” 

Leo blinked, taken aback by her address of him and the way her eyes trailed across his shirt and trousers. He was wearing a typical royal family Nohrian dress shirt and pants. There was no need to wear his armor during a peace talk, it would defeat the purpose of the _peace_ aspect of the negotiations, but he did still have Brynhildr clutched in his hand— _old habits die hard,_ he thought, mildly, but he wasn’t quite ready to part with the magical tome. He was also wearing one of the Nohrian royal family’s rings, to signify his status, as well as his usual headband. 

Feeling somewhat self-conscious, he tugged absently at his white shirt. “I—” 

“You should be wearing one of my special yukatas!” She said, with a smirk, looking quite pleased with herself as she rummaged through the clothes on her hanger, pulling aside a dark blue piece of clothing and glancing back and forth between Leo and the cloth. She nodded once, satisfied, and then thrust it into Leo’s hand. “Go try this on and then come back.” She waved to a privacy screen at her side, probably a part of her shop.

“What?”

Takumi was full on laughing now, color high in his cheeks and making Leo feel both embarrassed and uncomfortable in a strange, pleasant way that made him think of the way he’d wanted to embrace Takumi a few seconds before. “Go ahead, Leo, try it on if you know how?” He raised an eyebrow in challenge, and this look was familiar and Leo knew he could match it back with a smirk of his own. 

Leo slid behind the privacy screen, looking at the article of clothing in his hand disdainfully. How--? There were so many ribbons and threads that Leo had no idea what to do with. He almost wanted to call for the old woman to assist him but didn’t dare for knowing Takumi would probably laugh at him and tease him if he did. Eventually Leo decided he probably shouldn’t just stand here and stare at it, and proceeded to take off his shirt. He left the trousers on in case he messed up somehow and he _definitely_ didn’t want the old woman to see him looking entirely undignified. 

He didn’t want Takumi to see him either, but the flash of heat that hummed up his spine made him tingle with sudden adrenaline at the thought and he banished it before he could dwell on how frightening that was. 

He just managed to figure out which side was a sleeve and where to put his hand when the privacy screen rattled and Takumi pushed through, looking distinctly pleased and amused, mouth open ready to tease Leo for taking too long, when he froze. His hand tightened against the side of the screen where he had pushed it aside to slip through and his lips trembled ever so slightly. Leo watched his eyes fall to look at Leo’s bare chest and Leo felt his face flushing with heat. 

It’s not like this was the first time they had seen the other shirtless before. During the war, they didn’t have the luxury of bathing where or whenever they wanted to. Streams were used for quick scrub downs, and on hot days, soldiers shed their outerwear on occasion to beat the heat. 

So why was it that Takumi catching a glimpse of Leo shirtless while he was changing seemed suddenly too much? Leo thrummed with an emotion he couldn’t decipher, but he knew the coloration flushing the skin of his cheeks and which would eventually rise against the pale skin of his throat and upper chest (curse his pale skin) was from a mixture of embarrassment as well as something else. 

Takumi seemed unable to keep himself from staring. His eyes were fixed to Leo’s chest and Leo squirmed underneath Takumi’s dark gaze. “Takumi?” Leo managed to breathe the other prince’s name and this seemed to jolt Takumi to his senses as the other’s cheeks immediately darkened with color and he forced his gaze to stay on Leo’s face.

“I-I see you’re having difficulty just as I suspected.” The forced casualness in his voice made him sound high-pitched rather than teasing and it did nothing to soothe Leo’s uneasiness. Leo was quite glad then that he hadn’t taken off his trousers, or else this situation would be even more awkward than it already was.

Hoping to pretend that he wasn’t at all concerned with his half-naked state, Leo tilted his chin down to meet Takumi’s eyes and forced his blush away, keeping his voice steady, “I admit I am unaccustomed to so much fabric and ties. I was unsure where to begin.”

Leo’s more stable voice seemed to calm Takumi, though the other was still flushing, but he had seemed to come to grips with himself and stepped forwards, hands moving to catch the ends of the clothes. “Here, let me.” His breath ghosted across Leo’s skin and Leo shivered, stunned by the sudden arousal he was experiencing low in his belly. He bit down on his lip to keep himself from shrinking away from Takumi and allowed the shorter prince to slowly help him into his clothes. 

Takumi kept his eyes down, not meeting Leo’s eyes, as he helped Leo push into his sleeves and knotted ties. His fingers brushed against Leo’s skin and Leo hid each startled, exhale he wanted to make, and each shudder that wanted his body wanted to make. He kept his attention focused on Takumi’s finger. They were long and tanned, used to Hoshidan sun as he was, and each brush had Leo recognizing the calluses from constant use of a bow. He couldn’t quite hide the shiver that coursed through him, though he managed to bite back the moan that wanted to slip free, when Takumi accidentally brushed against one of Leo’s nipples. Takumi reared back as if burned, ears red, and muttered a _“sorry”_ before he continued arranging the cloth into place on Leo’s frame. 

When he was done, he stepped back, keeping his eyes down. His hands were clenched into fists at his side. “There.” He said, and his voice was low and scratchy. 

Leo looked down at himself to see how the cloth hugged his frame. The color was dark blue against him and it made his usually pale skin look almost translucent. The yukata wasn’t completely dark blue, there were fine, white satin leaves draw into the fabric by a careful knitter’s hand and Leo appraised it with interest. Very few Nohrian clothes had such detail. 

“What is it called?” Leo asked Takumi while he fingered the delicate white lace. 

“It’s a yukata.”

“It’s a lovely piece of clothing.” Leo said, turning around so he could get a good look at the back of the yukata. 

“Y-yeah, you look good.” When Leo looked up in surprise at the compliment Takumi choked, as if realizing suddenly what he’d said. “Shit. Sorry that was—”

“Thank you.” Leo cut Takumi off, feeling himself buzzing with warmth again, just like he’d felt before when looking into Takumi’s eyes. It wasn’t the hot arousal he’d felt earlier, this was softer and much easier to handle than the adrenaline that had been itching up his spine while Takumi’s fingers had been on him. 

When Takumi lifted his head finally, meeting Leo’s eyes, Leo could see just how flushed and affected the other prince was. His eyes were wide and Leo noticed then the trembling of Takumi’s shoulders as if he were holding himself back. Leo felt a rush of _something_ flow through him and he didn’t smother the smirk that flashed across his face. “Well, since you’ve gotten me into a yukata, I want to see you in one now too.” 

Leo couldn’t tell if Takumi flushed harder or if the color had just been there before. Takumi raised his head then, though, a challenge and interest sparking in his eyes. “Will you demonstrate how to put one on me, then?” He asked, low and fierce. 

Leo felt that arousal build up again and he swallowed down the breathy _yes_ he wanted to let slip. Instead, he composed himself enough to tilt his chin and match Takumi’s challenge once more. “I will, if you consent to demonstrating how to take one off.” 

Leo knew he didn’t imagine the way Takumi’s eyes dilated ever so slightly, and the way the other prince sway enough that he had to take a step back to catch his footing. Leo watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed and then nodded and Leo smiled triumphantly, walking forwards to brush past. 

“Then what are we waiting for?” He whispered.

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be fluffy and then it became this.


End file.
